Major reforms anticipated in humanities faculties of universities - State Minister

State Minister for Higher Education, Suren Raghavan has unveiled plans for significant reforms in the humanities faculties of the universities.

Addressing a press conference at the Presidential Media Centre (PMC) on Friday (Dec.15), the lawmaker shed light on the forthcoming initiatives aimed at revitalizing the education sector.

Raghavan revealed that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken the initiative to institute a National Higher Education Authority. This Authority will be tasked with conducting comprehensive research and studies on the ongoing education reforms within the region and globally.

In his remarks, Raghavan conveyed that a significant financial allocation has been designated for the education and higher education sectors. The intention is to execute a series of reforms within the Humanities Faculty of the country’s universities. To facilitate this, a specialized discussion session for this purpose has been planned for the upcoming month.

President Wickremesinghe has made the strategic decision to institute a National Higher Education Authority. The primary objective of this authority is to conduct comprehensive studies on research and advancements related to the on-going education reforms within regional countries and across the international landscape. Emphasizing alignment with 21st-century standards, the establishment of this authority also aims to centralize university administration into a cohesive framework.

To enhance the administrative efficiency of universities, a strategic initiative has been formulated to appoint Deputy Vice-chancellors alongside the existing Vice-Chancellors. Recognizing the considerable number of lecturers and professors from the country who have pursued opportunities abroad, concerted efforts are underway to repatriate their expertise.

Invitations have been extended to these qualified professionals, urging them to return to Sri Lanka and contribute to teaching and research activities in state universities. As a result, several lecturers are currently responding to this call, actively engaging in providing their valuable services in the local academic landscape.

Efforts have been initiated to curtail incidents of violence in the universities and foster an atmosphere conducive to quality education. In pursuit of this objective, a comprehensive plan has been devised to enrol 41,000 students in Sri Lankan universities for the upcoming academic year.

As a prerequisite for university admission, these students are mandated to participate in a four-month social service activity aligned with their chosen subjects. A novel program has been meticulously designed to facilitate this pre-university engagement.

--PMD